christmas 2009 & Briggs 4 week update

I hope everyone had such a great christmas!! We spent Christmas eve with Trav Fam, we left Briggs in the care of the nurses and my wonderful grandparents! We were so torn on what to about Christmas but we wanted to make it as normal as possible for the other kiddos so we decided to head to St. G for it. I was so glad we did, it was hard not having us all together, I could tell something was missing for sure! The kids had an absolute blast! I love that they understand it more and more each year! I came down Christmas eve and will stay till Jan 1. then switch Trav spots. We did manage to get a date in, since our relationship has been based over the phone the last 5 weeks! Everyone has been so generous through 0ut this whole ordeal, from cleaning or laundry, babysitting to even paying for gas and etc! Thank you everyone!!!!

Travs mom gets all the fam PJs for christmas, this year the girls' were RAD!!!!

Briggs is now over 4 weeks old, wierd huh! He's still around 2 pounds, he is now line free....so no PIC line or IV lines nothing, YAY. He's has the nostral things still but is now down to a flow of 0.5 and his Fi02 levels are around 21-28%, which is pretty dang good. He's more alert and wiggly! I helped with a bath the other day and kind of got to play with him, I loved it! He is so small it's almost fasinating ha! I think we are in a routine and getting used to him being there and the other fam being in St. G, doesnt mean it's not hard, but just getting use to it! We put Briggs in a Preemie outfit, which is one of the pics, it was HUGE!!!!

3 weeks already!

holy crap the time has fllown-  weird huh! Baby Briggs is still doing great! He's now eating a 1/2 of an ounce of breast milk every 3 hours. He's 1 pound 15.5 ounces, so almost 2 pounds! He's breathing with a flow of 2.5 which is pretty stinking low! His oxygen level fluctuates quite often but never more than 30%. He's just a happy camper right now! His bowel is still sticking out, but he poops ALOT, which is great. I got to hold him today for 2.5 hours! He loves it. He passed another brain exam and also an eye exam. They will check his eyes in another week, they said the oxygen levels can stunt the growth so they check them often! He already has such a personality, he has to always have a foot sticking in the air, I mean always. He found his thumb the other day and was in heaven and keeps sucking on it, if thats not in he has to have his binkie! It's cute! Primary childrens is a great place, but it's so sad to see all those sick babies. The little guy next to Briggs took a turn for the worse the other day right before he was going to go home! It just broke my heart! We brought the other kids up here and had all of us here and my grandma for help, it was fun (pics to come on the events we did) it was nice to be a family for a couple of days.....Im getting use to the routine up here and being alone ha, but I can't wait till he comes home.

I went to my doctor the other day, my BP is still high but has come down so I am still on pills and pretty sure I will take them forever, which sets in kind of a harsh reality, that I can't have more kids! I think I try to ignore the fact and I still have hope but the thoughts always there. I hope it changes, but I don't know...... 

It use to be really emotional for Trav and I with everything, but I think we are getting use to this different life, sad huh. Ha not to say we don't have our moments though.

I went to sacrament up here in SLC and the bishop said a few words and said " I don't know why people see more battles and can't seem to stop having hard battles" I just cried because we all have our trials, and this is ours and we can do this and it will end, the Lord wouldn't have us go through it if we weren't strong enough, it was reassuring! It's weird how something like this can make your testimony grow! But here are some pictures of our little guy! Thanks everyone for the prayers(keep praying please) and the concerns! We have the bestest friends and family EVER! Thank you all for helping us out

wow this is a novel

ps...I leave my pregnancy ticker on because to the nurses here, Briggs isn't 3 weeks he's 30 weeks, and at 37 he is full term so it's also our countdown ha!

Briggs' 2 week update

Wow, we have had a good last few days with this little miracle of ours. He is doing SO good. He is now off the ventilator, and on a high flow nostral thing, where it's himself breathing but with some help! He is now 1 week after surgery and his incision looks gerat. He hasn't had much swelling and his bowels are working awesome. The surgen came by yesterday and said to start feeds, which they weren't planning on starting until 2 weeks post-op. He LOVES his binkie, and it's the tiniest thing ever! He looks so good to and loves to cuddle. Trav got to hold him today for the first time, made me happy and i know Trav loved it, it makes it real and makes you feel like you have a baby. He's up there while I am down here in St. George, redeming myself as a mom with my other 2 kids! Briggs will be up in Salt Lake for about another 8 weeks! I have met a couple parents up there, that place works great miracles! Thank you eveyone for the prayers and for putting his name in every temple! We have had so much support, it has made this easier on us! I can't wait to have my baby home! He is such a perfect little angel. I am sad not to be pregnant anymore, I miss it! I think once Briggs comes home it'll be easier! Briggs' doctor said it's a miraculous thing he is alive! He said for some reason he's suppose to be here and you are a special mom for having him as a son! I don't think my testimony for the church has ever been so strong! I have seen a lot of prayers answered! anwyays, The pics I put up are right after surgery, and that thing on his tummy is the piece of bowel sticking out, which will be put back in after he gets a little bigger! They also did a brain scan for any bleeding and he passed that! Thank goodness

Thanks everyone really, thank you

Briggs update-sorry no pics

Ok so, here we go

We got a call sunday morning around 8am from the NICU saying Briggs had an infection in his bowels and is going to be life-flighted to Primary Childrens. So up we jumped and that began the day. Trav went with the life-flight crew and I drove with Travs mom. We got up there around 4pm and they still hadn't done the surgery. When I walked in that room and saw Travs face and the nurses and Doctors, it hit me! This was going to be the last time I saw my baby boy. The Bishop cleared it to let Trav bless Briggs with his name by himself, there in the hospital, so Trav did and it was beautiful. So he went into surgery and out we went. The longest 2 hours of my life. Apparently babies who have bowel ubstructions dont make it. So that explains the looks. Well he ended up have a congenital disorder that caused a band of scare tissue to form around his bowel cause it to cause infection like things happen. They cut off a couple inches of his bowel and his bowel now sticks out of his stomach for a couple of months, until it's healed and then he will have another surgery. They said after they cleaned all the gases out of his tummy he became a happy baby. He's now stable! He had 2 blood transfusions to make up for the blood loss but he's done good. I hate Primary childrens, everyone is so intense and worst case scenario, it bugs. But thank you for the prayers and please keep praying!!!! PLEASE! 

Baby Briggs!

Travis' aunts friend called us and said she would LOVE to take professional pictures Briggs and she did so good! Last night they had to hook him up to a ventilator, to help expand his lungs so he breaths deeper! Which we expected! They said it's normal. They also upped his caffeine intake! They give him a tube of caffeine, fats and my milk to fatten this little guy up. He's so cute! SO tiny like unreal tiny but I just love him!!! He's a miracle

the diaper picture is his diaper compared to a newborn sized diaper! I didnt even know they got smaller than that

Briggs Lee Read-yes he's here

The Story-

Well I woke up yesterday to the doctor Ott kinda in a panic, but BP had went crazy all night and I had a severe headache. He then checked my urine for protein around 8am, 5+ is when your kidneys are done and I had gone to a 4+ just through the night. He came and did an ultra sound and the babies fluid had dropped from an 8 to a 3. So he said I need to make some phone calls and then came back and said ok, we are doing a C-section in 45 minutes so call your family. So I called Trav and he was there in 30 minutes and his parents got there in 10! I was so scared, it's so early and also the thought of a C-section scared me! So Trav and his dad gave me a blessing, and wow, did that help! They then wheeled me back into the room and the anestiesiolgist came in and gave me a spinal block. It numbs you in 30 seconds and off they went away working. They brought Trav in and said k in 20 seconds you will have a baby, and sure enough there HE was! Trav left with the babe and I got sick, I threw up the entire time and shook. C-sections are awful!!! just awful. I then went to recovery and off they took little Briggs. He looked better than i ever expected! They gave me steroids on monday and Tuesday so thank goodness for that! He is doing better than we and the NICU team ever expected. He weighs 1 pound 12 ounces! He's 13 inches long!!! SO SO tiny. But he is feisty he keeps pulling out his breathing tubes and already tries to suck on things. They said he will be in here for around 10 weeks! The NICU team is awesome!!! He is so cute! I got to hold him today and he just snuggled up and relaxed but when the time came to put him down he cried! Made my day! I love this little guy and he's a fighter! I'm so comforted to know he is ok! I get to go home on Tuesday so Im excited to see my kids! Thank you everyone for the prayers help and love really, thank you!!!!! here are some pics

I'm still Prego...YAY

Still here and pregnant, which is good! The preeclampsia hasnt gotten worse yet, which is what we are hoping for. I have only had half the meds as I have had all week, today so they are having an easier time controlling it. I still of course cannot go home because in any minute, the condition could worsen! I got to see my babies again today, oh how I love it! Paytons concern is so awesome! She even saved her last piece of gum for just in case i wanted it! Today I am 27 weeks so if we stay prego for another week, it takes my chances of having a normal baby from 40-50 to 80%! So every day makes a difference! They let me have any visitors, just only 2 at a time! But even getting up to pee, raises my BP! Crazy huh! But today i havent cried or gotten pissed haha so hopefully every day gets better!!!!

another update

Well i got to see my kids today but they told me I will only be able to see them twice a week! I know i cant stop crying! Its sucks! I miss them more than anyone will ever know! The Doc came in and said my urine had alot of protein in my urine so my Kidneys are struggling. He said because my BP was so high it has affected my brain so I have had to do magnesium to stop any seizing. My BP is now down but they said my preeclampsia is to border line severe that they cant let me go home! I will be here until I deliver, which they are thinking wont be any longer than 6 weeks. They have been giving me steroids for the baby to helps its lungs. They said every day it stays inside the better, but where do you find the balance between never seeing your kids at home to help one live. It's awful. I think today it has hit, cause I just keep crying! I want to go home so bad! But thank you everyone for all the help and calls! Really thank you

We will keep you posted!!!

pregnancy update

well sorry no pics but I am EXTREMELY bored sitting in the hospital.

the story is, my blood pressure got so high my doc called me in today. I had protein in my urine and would randomly start seeing stars! So he decided to admit me to labor and delivery to monitor it and my baby. We got here and it was so high and so it made them more nervous when I started sweeting and got a clamy so they put my bp meds in through an IV but i was so tense my vein balled so it made me even sicker. So after that was under control, the high risk doc came in and my reflexes were crazy so they started me on magnesium to help me not get seizures, and that makes ya sick. Good news is the baby i doing awesome but it looks like we will here for awhile, they said if by some miracle everything improves I may be going home but with strict bed rest! So it's a waiting game! But what a day, it has been long and not fun! So keep us in your prayers and everyone enjoy Thanksgiving, because we will be here, in our hospital room!!!!

Halloween 2009

I hope everyone had a SUPER fun Halloween! We did! Our kids were skeltons! Creative eh? Well I showed Payton every single girly costume out there and she insisted on being something scary!!!! She's the one in the wig!!! Haha it was fun. We have the raddest neighborhood! Friday night we watched a movie with a projector on my neighbors garage with all of us neighbors! It was fun. Saturday we stayed in the neighborhood, holy crap there were so many kids! We went through 3 super super super HUGE bags of candy and then just left for the night, and there were still lots of kids out! We then went to Travs parents house for Chili and Scones!!!! MMMMM yummy!!! It was fun

Happy 5 years!!!

I can't believe it's really been 5 years! So crazy! We have had a lot of fun the past years but not all are have been easy ha! Im so glad we are still married and still happy! I am seriously THE LUCKIEST girl ever. Travis has and is so wonderful! I am not sure how I ended up with him! Thanks dear")

He took me away for 2 days to a cute cozy cabin about an hour out of Zions two weekends ago! He got me gifts that remind him of me, hot chocolate because I LOVE the stuff, and a hot chocolate cooker thing. He got me target jewelery because thats all I wear. Then the card game WAR, which we ended up playing for 4 hours!!!! We LOVE that game. Then a bag of tootsie rolls chocolate mixed with the vanilla kind! He also gave me a Dave Mathews CD, and the movie The Proposal! He's awesome!!!!!!

Head Bands

Hey all here are some of the head bands I have been making. Im debatin between $6-$8 for them. I think they can fit a small babys head up to Paytons size. Let me know what you think

Bows-

hey guys- so with all my free time I have decided to make bows! So If you are interested in buying any I will be selling them for $8 a piece. I can take requests for colors or whatever or select which from these you like. I can go smaller as well. Let me know

Just Random

I haven't put a whole lot of pictures on my blog for awhile! So here are some random ones. We went to Pine Valley for a sunday dinner with Travis' family. We really had SO much fun! We are so fortunate to have them!

It has been my first week at home, and I dont think my house has ever been clean and stayed cleaned for this long. I think the kids are enjoying my company and I love being with them! Its so fun to have a full on conversation with Payton! She's hilarious! It was my brithday Sunday, and a big thanks to my friends for lunch and dinner!!! Trav fams had a dinner of my choice:) for me, and also spoiled me with shirts jewelery and boots! Trav put my present (which was the 5th season of the Office) in a cake pan of green jello! hahahah he's so funny so we ate until we got to the center! Thanks all for the birthday wishes and gifts and food, made my week of disaster end really nice!

The first two pictures of Payton and Brek, well really they are so cute together! They are starting to play together more and not fight! Thank gooodness!!! They watch a movie at night together and end up falling asleep together!!! I love them

diaper cake #2

I seriously love making these things! This one I did for my friend, Lexie! I thought it turned out cute